Signal flag for railway trains or the like



March 11, 1947. E. G. LEACH 2,417,367

SIGNAL FLAG FOR RAILWAY TRAINS OR THE LIKE Filed Oct. 23, 1944 Fig .2 f F] INVENTOR.

EARL 6;. LEACH Patented Mar. 11, 1947 UNITED STATES PATENT. QFFICE SIGNAL FLAG FOR RAILWAY TRAENS OR THE LIKE Earl G. Leach, Wellington, lKans.

Application October 23, 1944, Serial No. 560,072

3 Claims. 1

My invention herein disclosed relates to a signal flag for railway trains. or the like, the principal object of which. is to produce a flag structure impervious to weather conditions and capable of enduring high velocity of travel, the flag element being rigid and void of furling.

A further object of my invention is to produce a flag sheet preferably made of plastic material, two ply, so that the sides of the sheet will be of a solid color through its body and the sides of the flag differentiating in color from each other, said plies being integrally joined and the said flag thus constructed being invertible on its staff to expose to view an appropriate color as a signal to identify the difierence between trains in transit travel.

A still further object of my invention is to provide a bracket having a legged seat for the upper or lower edge of the flag selectively and being positioned between the legs of the seat to avoid turning of the flag on its staff, said bracket outwardly extends from the side of the staff and has a clamp integrally joined and bolt means to ad justably secure the clamp to the said flag stall, and the flag body has a cylindrical structure formed on one side thereof to removably engage on the staff. I

These and other objects will hereinafter be more fully explained, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification and wherein like characters will apply to like parts in the different views.

Referring to the drawings:

Fig. l is a side elevation of the flag structure, parts removed for convenience of illustration.

Fig. 2 is a transverse View of Fig. 1, looking toward the trailing end of the flag body with respect to the movement of railway trains.

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a bottom plan View of Fig. 1, a portion of the flag being removed.

As a more concise description of the invention it will be seen that the structure consists of a flag staff I, cylindrical in form with respect to cross section, the lower end of which as at A is rigidly secured by a suitable supporting bracket to the side of a locomotive, its tender, or elsewhere as directed, the bracket not shown in the drawings.

Removably mounted on the staff is a flag body 2, having its free end directed rearward of the train and being secured by means later described to avoid turning on its stafi prior to or while the train is in transit. The other end of said flag has a tubular element B integrally joined to the flag body and adapted to'removably engage on the staff while the lower edge of the flag body adjacent the staff seats on a bracket 3, said bracket being firmly secured to the staff by its circular clamp portion C and from thence extending outward at right angle to the vertical axis of the stafi, the lapped portion being tensioned together by bolts 4 to bind the circular portion firmly to the stair. Upwardly positioned adjacent the outer end of said lapped portion is a pair of legs E, integrally joined thereto and being spaced apart in parallelism to receive an edge portion or" the said ilag body removably seated therein, said legs being spaced outward from the staff a suitable distance is means to firmly secure the flag body from turning on the stair, and furthermore the legs upwardly extending and closely fitting on the sides of the flag body is a mechanical advantage for stability or installation for longer duration of service. The flag body as constructed consists of two plies of colored plastic material 5 and 6 respectively, said plies being of diiierent colors, preferably green and white, but not restricted to such alone, and such other modifications may be made as lie within the scope of the appended claims.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a signal flag of the class described, a plastic sheet of suitable width, length and thickness, the length being substantially. twice that of its width, one half of its length being of white material while the other half is of green material, said sheet being lapped back on itself to form a two ply flag body and being integrally secured together, the body having a, tube formed where the sheet laps back on itself and being at the demarcuate line of its colors whereby a flag body is formed substantially rectangular in contour, a cylindrical staff insertible through the tube to removably carry the flag body so that the same may be inverted to exhibit selectively a, conventional color as a code for trains in transit, a

bracket secured to the staff intermediate of its ends, said bracket being of a suitable length and having a circular portion on one end thereof to engage on the stall and having means to clamp 3 the length being substantially twice that of its width, one half of its length being of white ma;- terial while the other half is of green material, said sheet being lapped back on itself to form a two ply flag body and being integrally secured together, the body having a tube formed where the sheet laps back on itself and being at the demarcuate line of its colors whereby a flag body is formed substantially rectangular in contour, a cylindrical staff insertible through the tube to re movably carry the flag bodyso that the same may be inverted to exhibit selectively a conventional color as a code for trains in transit, bracket means rigidly secured to the flag staff to carry the flag body at a spaced distance outward from the staff to avoid turning thereof aroundthe staff and secure the flag body from sliding downward. I

3. In a signal flag of the class described, a flag body of suitable length, width and thickness andside to side, means to secure one edge of the flag body to a flag stafi removably and invertible thereon sidewise with respect'to a horizontal plane and means rigidly secured to the flag staff while one portion of said means extends outward from said flag stafi to carry the flag body extending in one direction for the purpose specified v V EARL G. LEACH.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the 'file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Moulder Sept. 1, 1942 

